The Last Piece
by manicpanda06
Summary: Jack is incredibly lonely despite the other Guardians. Hardly anyone sees him. Except for Wren. She saw him right away and Jack can't let go of this new connection. It's only for the week after all. She's destined to die by the end of it and their story will end there. Or will it? Adult Themes/ Language
1. Chapter 1

Jack Frost crouched beneath a blooming apple tree, contemplating the day's events. As always, he had traveled the world creating snow days for the children to enjoy. Being the Guardian of Fun is a lot of work with little pay off in the end. Hardly anyone believed in him. The kids he spent so much time entertaining passed straight through him, ripping away a piece of his hope with them. Sure, he had the other Guardians to keep him company, but something was missing…

"You alone today, too?" Jack jumped at the sudden voice and hugged his knees closer. In his dazed state he had not noticed the girl that had taken a seat in the grass directly in front of him. She was obviously older than usual believers, eighteen at least, and was staring expectantly at him with a crooked grin.

"Uhm, me?" Jack gazed directly back into her eyes, sure that he could see her, but afraid of letting that hope destroy him if she didn't.

"I don't see anyone else out here." Jack scanned the park, finding that they were, in fact, alone.

"Do you believe in me?" The girl turned her head curiously to the side, still sporting that crooked grin.

"Yeah, sure, you can do anything you set your mind to." Jack was at a loss for words. It was obvious this girl had no idea who he was, yet she could see him. She brushed a strand of chocolate hair behind one ear nervously, trying to decide what to say next to the boy openly gawking at her. "I'm Wren Sutherland. Who are you?"

Jack hesitated, unsure of whether or not he should give his actual name. "Uhm, Jack F-"

"Stop!" Manny bellowed down at Jack, cutting off his sentence. "Do not tell this girl who you are."

"Forrester," he finished uncertainly. "Jack Forrester." He breathed a sigh of relief when she smiled sweetly at him.

"Well, Jack Forrester, I seem to find myself without a date to share this picnic with. Would you like to join me?" For the first time he noticed the backpack threatening to burst beside her in the grass. His every instinct told him to decline and move on, but no one his age had seen him in centuries. He couldn't pass up his chance just because Manny was acting strangely. He could play normal boy for a while.

"Sure." Without missing a beat, Wren began unpacking containers of food. She had neatly made finger sandwiches, mashed potatoes kept in sealed glass jars to keep them warm, a bowl of chopped fruit, and what looked like homemade chocolate truffles.

"Good 'cause I spent way too much time putting this together for no one to eat it. Especially those damn truffles." Jack laughed at her apparent annoyance at whomever hadn't showed.

"Who was supposed to meet you here?" he asked curiously.

"My brother." She shrugged and handed him a plastic spoon for his potatoes.

"Why are you here all alone? Contemplating life or trying to meet lonely girls?" The wink she sent his way made him want to be sick. Girls hadn't hit on him in centuries, other than Tooth who really needed to find someone more her age and feathery.

"The first one."

"Careful. If you think too hard life becomes a whole lot sadder." He found himself nodding at her advice. The more he thought about his loneliness the worse it seemed to get, even with North always breathing down his neck.

"That's true, but it's hard to think at home. Everything's so hectic." Images of the mayhem he found himself in back at the workshop bloomed in his mind's eye, followed by a harsh scolding from North.

"I can definitely understand that. People are always running in and out of my house. There's no privacy." Wren made a disgusted face at her own imaginings, then resumed unashamedly scarfing down a sandwich. "That's why I love spring! I can spend as much time outside as I please despite the temperature."

"Spring?" Jack arched an eyebrow at her. "That's your favorite season? I thought you'd like winter. You know, with Christmas and all that." He tried to shrug off the comment, not wanting her to see how badly he wished she preferred winter.

"Why would I like Christmas?" She seemed appalled at the very idea.

"Uhm, because of presents? Santa?" he said whilst stuffing a strawberry into his mouth.

"I've never gotten a present from Santa." That made Jack choke on the strawberry. She watched him, amused at being able to get such a reaction. The only person that ever gave Wren anything was her best friend Allie. No one else really seemed to give a shit what happened to her.

"Never?!" Jack couldn't believe it was possible. Of course naughty kids didn't get any presents, but _never_? Not even when she was a toddler?

"Nope." She popped the word out of her mouth with extra emphasis, worried she was about to receive some unwanted pity.

"Do you at least like the snow?" he ushered her forward.

She shrugged her shoulders as if to say more or less. "Sometimes. It depends on the snow." Before Jack could ask her to elaborate on that, her phone erupted with some terrible ringtone involving loud instruments and a lot of profuse screaming. Without warning, she stood up and chucked the device at a tree standing behind her. The phone broke into a couple of pieces before disappearing in the grass.

"You're a strange girl…" He stared at her incredulously.

"Strange is what I aim for." She smiled back at him before placing their empty food containers back in her backpack. "I want you to have these." She plopped the baggy of chocolate truffles into his lap. "For being nice to me today."

Once again, Jack was at a loss for words. Wren found them for him. "I'd like to see you again sometime. Is that okay?"

Was that okay? Manny was staying dauntingly silent. "Yeah, I'd like that." He resisted the urge to scoot away when she crawled closer to him and snatched his wrist. Her tiny fingers held him captive while she scribbled numbers down onto his alabaster skin.

"Call me, then." Wren winked and strolled away, choosing not to point out how freezing his wrist had been.

"Manny?" No answer. "Why can she see me? Why can't I tell her who I am?" He decided to wait a moment. Sometimes Manny took irritatingly long to answer.

"That girl is destined to die this week," was the only answer Manny was willing to give.


	2. Chapter 2

Of course he wasn't going to call her. That would be nuts! Instead, like the stalker he is, Jack raced after her disappearing form and followed her home without being noticed. It was a rather large house, with a wraparound porch and a lawn littered with garbage, remnants from a wild party. Peaking in the windows occurred to him, but only fleetingly. That was just a little too creepy for him. He would have to come back later.

Wren hated her home. The only family ever home was her brother and that was to play with his toys. Barely clothed women and drunken men were the only visitors this house received. Other than her best friend, Allie. Faithful as ever, Allie was sprawled out on her bed, sleeping off the day's hangover from the night before. Wren kicked her sharply in the side.

"Dammit Wren. That wasn't necessary." Wren giggled at her writhing form. She had never lived through a hangover herself and loved teasing those who did. "What happened with your brother?"

Wren sat on the bed, hunched over miserably. She had wanted alone time with her brother Michael, away from this house and those that waltzed in and out of it constantly looking for a good time. She had even hoped he would skip the drugs and come sober, finding the walk to the park too much for him otherwise. Instead, he had stayed passed out wherever he was and left her flailing. Now that both her and her brother were eighteen, her parents never came home and she feared they secretly had a home somewhere else and they would forever be left to their own devices and a monthly check.

"He didn't show. I had lunch with a cute stranger instead." Allie grinned and tackled her friend onto the bed, wanting to know all the details before she had to trudge to work.

Night fell and Wren had nothing better to do than wait for Allie to come back and entertain her. Music droned somewhere else in the house and she wished it would make her as happy as it was making the visitors. The sound of her door bursting open brought her swiftly to her feet. Michael's glazed over eyes stared back at her.

"Why are you still up here? Troy wants to see you." Wren tensed at the name of Michael's drug dealer. Troy had been a constant figure in her life since she was twelve and first going through puberty. He used to say disgusting things about her, like how she was filling out nicely. As she grew up, he would stop her in the hall and whisper whiskey tainted threats in her ear, saying she would be his one day when she smartened up and realized what she was good for.

"I don't want to see him." With that, her brother stomped into the room and grabbed her forcefully by the wrist, pulling her up from the bed. She didn't cringe from him. Michael had never hit her. It was his friends she worried about.

"Tomorrow is his birthday party. If you don't go, he's going to be very angry." Michael released her and disappeared. He didn't care what she wanted. All he cared about was his next fix and Troy was his lifeline.

Jack waited until the next day to see her again. He didn't call. He was afraid she would want to put off their meeting and they didn't have time for such things, not with death knocking at her door. For the first time in centuries he put on shoes and longer pants to hide his ankles. Based off of what he saw the other people wearing in the streets, he figured his hoodie would be just fine. They hadn't planned a date or anything after all. The walk to her house had given him extra time to work up the bravery to knock on her door. The sun was setting into a grey evening by the time he was about to round the corner towards her house.

Something forcefully crashed into him, causing him to collide harshly with the sidewalk and scrape his back and elbows. After the fall, he slowly opened his eyes to examine the weight still gracing his lap. Wren stared back at him with those playful blue eyes that so mirrored his own. She blushed at how close their faces were, his cool breath tickling her cheeks. Never in her life had she jumped to her feet so quickly.

At eighteen, boys were something she had definitely experienced. But none of them were anything like Jack. Maybe she was trusting him too soon, a trait she preferred to keep buried, but Jack was special. His very being radiated kindness, a rare occurrence for her.

"Jack! What are you doing here?" She resisted the urge to hug him tightly.

"I was… going home. I live here." He raised his arms to indicate the suburb around them. Wren doubted the truth to that statement. So many people filtered in and out of her own house that she figured she would have seen him before that day, but maybe he was new. Or maybe he was a stalker…

"Which street?"

"Uhm… I don't know. I just moved here. I haven't memorized my address." He sent her a calm smile, though on the inside he was shaking like a leaf. He was sure he was coming off as a creep.

"Oh, well we'll have to hang out some time if you live so close." With that, Wren attempted to go around him and continue her escape from home. Troy would be there soon and she didn't plan on being in her room when he arrived.

"How about right now?" She paused and examined his hopeful expression. Maybe he could take her mind off of a few things.

"I was going to the movies. You want to come with me?" That sweet smile sent him over the edge and he nodded absently. He had only been to the movies a handful of times and it was always as a mere ghost. He couldn't share laughter or fear with anyone. No one looked over to gauge his reaction to their favorite scenes or ask which character he liked best. "Then let's go, kid!" She snatched his hand and tugged him eagerly along, not knowing that all he could think about was the warmth of her fingers.


	3. Chapter 3

Wren couldn't believe she had asked the guy to come with her to the movies. Her life was hectic enough as it stood and no way could she bring this obviously innocent guy into the mix. He would turn tail and run the first time he saw the way people passed out and her backyard and the stash of herb under her bed. By no means was she as awful as her brother, but Wren was definitely no angel.

Yet here she was, standing outside of the theatre with Jack and scanning the line of playing movie posters. She was so giddy to be doing something normal with a guy that knew nothing about her home and family that she didn't even notice the people gawking at her when they passed, trying to figure out who she was talking to at the moment.

"What do you like, Jack?"

He shrugged his shoulders in reply. "Anything really. A cartoon, maybe? I'm a kid at heart." She laughed when he placed a hand to his chest innocently.

"Fine. A cartoon." Jack followed her to the ticket window and had a mini heart attack when it occurred to him that he had no money to pay. Wren didn't seem to mind. Without even asking him if had anyway to pay, she bought two tickets and walked towards the front door. "Uh, I should have paid," he said regretfully, face burning with embarrassment.

"Please, Jack. It' the 21st century and I invited you on a whim. I _wanted_ to pay." She gave him that smile again, but it didn't dissipate the blush scorching his cheeks.

"I'm a little old-fashioned," he conceded while opening the door to the theatre for her.

"A gentleman? How rare! I will be careful not to alert the other girls in the neighborhood to your existence." That made Jack laugh nervously. He rubbed the back of his neck, ruffling the white hair.

"Probably a good idea," he answered cryptically. Every person that passed Wren chattering what to them seemed like no one made his heart stop. He was sure someone would stop her and ask her if she was okay. It was odd how none of them audibly questioned it.

Once in the theatre he was glad to find that only a handful of people dotted the ascending seats. Wren picked two that were closer to the top and right in the middle of the big screen. It was pure luck that they had made it in time for the movie and there was no time for them to even have a conversation before the film started. That didn't stop Wren from whispering to him.

Each time she bent her head closer to his, his bangs tickled the top of her scalp. Although she barely knew Jack, Wren was ecstatic to be sitting so close to him. Whenever he would lean down to hear about the scenes that made her laugh and how she loved the villain more than the goofy heroes, she practically soared out of her seat at his close proximity.

"You're supposed to hate the bad guy!" he scolded her under his breath.

"The bad guy is just misunderstood. He's a more believable character."

"There are good people, too." Wren gave him a heavy eye roll.

"No, there are people with good intentions. Not the same." At that moment, a woman in front of them turned around and shushed her. "I'm gonna go rip her wig off and stuff it down her throat."

"Wren!" Jack gawked at her. She was so strange to him. Sweetness and fierceness in one tiny package. "We _were_ talking. Don't be mean."

Wren smirked back at him. "I'm sorry. I'm not made of sugar."

About twenty minutes later the lights rose in the theatre and the couple filed out of the theatre. Once on the sidewalk, Jack began walking her home.

"You don't have to walk with me. I'll be fine," she hastily informed him.

"I live this way, remember?" Wren felt stupid and began fishing for another lie to avoid Jack going anywhere near her house. By this point a party was probably at full force. Within the next couple hours the cops would be called, but no one would be arrested because of the money her parents made and donated to the officers. Her brother usually did a good job at keeping the partygoers out back. That didn't mean Troy and his cronies wouldn't be festooning the front porch. They probably be smoking strawberry Kush at that very moment with a can of Four Loco in hand.

"Actually, I was planning on going to my friend's house." Jack searched her eyes for any deception but detected none. Still, there was something in her eyes that kept him on edge. Maybe it was the earnestness of her stare, how deeply she wanted him to concede and go home alone.

"Okay, I guess… Are you sure you will be okay?" Wren nodded vigorously. Without warning, she leaned forward and planted a warm kiss on the side of his cheek. She touched her lips afterward, marveling at how cold they were.

"Jack, you're freezing." The peck had left Jack blushing as it was. Her comment only deepened that blush to a blazing red.

"Yeah, I'm one of those people that are cold all the time." Wren cocked a dubious eyebrow at him, but didn't protest his explanation.

Her doubt faded into another playful grin. "Well, that was for being a gentleman. I hope I see you again."

Wren left Jack staring after her and sauntered down the street and onto the local playground. Allie was usually the only person who could make her so happy, but Jack had left her euphoric. Most guys would have taken that movie as a dark moment to attempt to maul her. And usually, she would lack the self-respect to stop them. Jack didn't even attempt to hold her hand. If not for his constant blushing and closeness during the movie, she would have assumed he didn't like her back.

It was a nice change. He made her feel normal for once. Like maybe she had other options out there besides being the daughter of the Sutherland's, doomed to a lavish life of banal luxury. She curled up in one of the tubs on the jungle gym, afraid to go home and see Troy, drunk and feeling as though she owed him something. This wasn't the first time she had slept outside, though normally Allie would be with her. Within moments, she had fallen asleep, unaware that Jack perched in the tree overlooking the playground, twirling his staff and trying to figure out what to do next.

She was going to die soon. Any day now. His need for company had led him to feel for her and now he would have to mourn her. Manny continued his silence.


	4. Chapter 4

Wren remained on the playground until noon the next day before chancing going home. It was apparently not long enough. As she suspected, Troy rocked on the porch, enjoying the afternoon in his own sick way. Before Wren could run back up the street, he caught sight of her and called out. She knew she would have to listen or Michael would make life a living hell when he heard about it.

"Good morning, Troy," she grumbled and tried to weave around him for the door.

"Where were you last night?" Troy stood up mechanically and slid between her and the door. He began slowly stepping towards her and she took hesitant steps back each time. "It was my birthday and the one person I wanted to share it with didn't show." By this time her back was hitting the railing. She was caged. "Did you even buy me a present?"

Troy began leaning down closer to her face. His fingers snaked around her waist and he ferociously gripped the flesh there. Wren absently fondled the railing, searching for anything to grab. Her fingers clutched around the cool glass of a potted plant. "That's okay. There are other ways to make my birthday special." He snatched her to his chest, prepared to maul her beautiful neck, when she launched the pot into his head with a strength she didn't know she had.

"Fuck!" The hit hadn't been enough to knock him out but it was enough to allow her to hop the railing and sprint behind the nearby houses. Troy didn't dare follow her for fear of the neighbors seeing them. He would make her pay later.

Jack lay languidly on one of the beams of the workshop, hiding his dreamy state from North. The yetis worked beneath him, preparing for next Christmas though the holiday was months away. With all the work that needed to be done, one would think he could get Wren out of his mind, but it was proving to be impossible. He had to see her one more time.

When he flew out of the window and into the arctic air he noticed the subtle darkening of the sky. He hadn't even lasted twenty-four hours.

Wren wandered the streets for hours. When evening drew near she found herself walking back home and hoping her brother wouldn't be too hard on her. He wasn't fuming on the porch as she had expected. She walked towards the backyard, his usual spot. When she rounded the corner, she found him red-faced and glaring at Troy. Allie stood behind him. When she turned and saw Wren she held out her arms for her best friend to run to.

"What is going on?!" Wren shouted at Troy. All life left his face when he saw her, the girl who rejected him. When he was a small time dealer he may have stood for that, but now he was up and coming. He was bringing in a fortune and none of his movers would ever respect him if he let these people walk all over him any longer.

With trembling hands, he raised a handgun and pointed it straight at Michael. He was always such a spoiled, rich brat. Troy had only seen his house as a hideaway. A place the cops would never dare raid. He would be the perfect first kill to scare away any potential buyers or competition that dared disrespect him. And he couldn't wait to see that damned girl broken.

"Sorry, Michael. Your usefulness has run its course." Michael stood in front of the girls, flinching when the shot rang out and preparing for the impact of the bullet that never came. He opened his eyes to the sound of a thunk followed by Allie screaming. In front of him lay Wren, prone and watering the lawn with her precious blood.

It was the screaming that made Jack fly at breakneck speed towards Wren's house. He arrived to find a man sprinting from the yard and tossing something into the neighbor's trash. He contemplated following the man, but the wailing coming from the house whipped his head around and he soared to find its source.

A girl with short blonde hair sobbed over Wren's limp form in her lap. Beside her crouched a man that looked a lot like Wren. He stumbled away and wretched until there was nothing left inside. Jack, unseen, crouched in front of the weeping girl, trying to catch a glimpse of Wren's empty face. The girl's hands were stained with crimson that she accidentally wiped on her cheeks as she screamed the unfairness up at the silent moon.

Jack looked up at the moon, too. He wished he could tell the girl that Manny never seemed to give clear answers. There was nothing for him here. Invisible once again, he flew home.

Wren awoke in a dark room. Beneath her was a cold table that bit into her bare back. She stumbled around the room until she found a light. The sight of blood covering her naked body caused a sharp squeal to erupt from her. Beside her hung a lab coat on a hook. She eagerly buttoned it over her bare form and attempted to open the window. Once outside, the moonlight called to her.

"Wren Sutherland."

"Whose there?" She frantically scanned the street she had crawled out onto.

"I am the Man in the Moon. And you are here because it is time to meet destiny." The voice faded. Wren screamed out to it to continue, but no more answers came. She ran through the streets, passing those who still wandered. None of them noticed her cries for help. Wren's existence had always been a lonely one, but for the first time ever, she was truly alone.

It wouldn't be until days later, when she was trudging through the park, dejected, miserable, that she found purpose. The simple tripping over a discarded bow and arrow during a distracted archery class would change her future.


	5. Chapter 5

Five Years Later

"I am sure you are wondering why I have gathered you all here." North paced in front of the Guardians, hands crossed behind his back. "We seem to have problem. Serious problem." The Guardians leaned forward, eager to hear what he had to say.

"Quit being dramatic, mate. What happened?!" Bunnymund gripped his ears in irritation.

"Pitch is back."

"Already?!" Tooth exploded, causing her mini fairies to flit away in fear. It had only been a short time since Pitch's latest attempt at spreading darkness. An almost successful attempt at that.

"Yes, he has had help regaining his previous power. It seems Samhain has chosen the side of darkness."

"Samhain?" Jack rubbed the back of his head in confusion. "But kids love Halloween. Why would he help Pitch?" The winter spirit had only fleetingly met Samhain on a handful of occasions. The man was not exactly pleasant company, but he didn't scream evil villain the way Pitch did.

"Adults, too. It's one of the most popular holidays. No one would celebrate Halloween if Pitch spread his darkness. They wouldn't celebrate anything." Tooth calmly landed beside Jack, carefully watching the thoughts crossing North's face.

"Maybe Samhain doesn't want to spread darkness. This could be an easy opportunity to decrease belief in us and increase interest in Halloween. He probably plans to abandon the alliance halfway through." North rubbed his chin pensively.

Bunnymund finished cleaning his nails with his boomerang and placed it back in its sheath. "Then Samhain is in over his head. We have no reason to believe he can handle Pitch. Besides, either way, we will lose believers. Can't have that, can we?" The Guardians all nodded their agreement.

A golden question mark appeared over Sandy's head. Jack stepped up to decipher it. "Uhm, what do we do next?"

"We could go to Samhain's forest?" Tooth provided. Talking with the man might shed light on the steps to follow.

"No," Bunnymund stated firmly. "Pitch is probably staying there instead of the lair. They're stronger together and Pitch ain't the trusting type. He'll watch Samhain closely."

"Pitch said something I think may be helpful," North remembered. "You know how bad guys are. They talk wayyyy too much sometimes-"

"North," Jack growled at him. North raised his monstrous hands in surrender.

"He said that he already had one partner and would be picking up another one after he left. He said this other person was young, but powerful indeed."

The Guardians began going over all the magical beings they knew and trying to place them to Pitch's statement. At the end of the line of contemplation stood Sandy frantically forming hearts above his head.

"Sandy, please stop doing that. It's very distracting." North glared at the manically flickering pictures. "Ah, love! Good idea Sandy!"

"Love?" Jack scrunched up his nose in confusion.

"I think he means Cupid," Tooth supplied.

"Cupid hasn't been in action long," Bunnymund agreed, "and definitely powerful. Without love, the world doesn't function. People won't even be able to find a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Not to mention the children who would be affected."

"Cupid's a _she_?" Jack was bewildered. Images of a grown man in diapers flashed in front of his eyes.

"Jack, you should really work on meeting magical beings outside of us. A cute boy like you should get out more." Tooth blushed and looked away.

Jack physically shook what she had said out of his head. "How will hurting Cupid affect the children?"

"Cupid is not only romantic love," North informed him. "Cupid is any love that is strong and pure. The kind of love a parent feels for a child. Children all over the globe would awaken to a world that no longer cares about them."

Jack thought about Jamie and Sophie, about all their little friends who had believed in him and showed him that he had a future. A real future with an actual purpose. No way was he going to let Pitch destroy their world. Jack gripped his staff tighter. "What are we waiting for?"

Wren sat on the balcony of her palace drinking tea brewed by one of her servants. Spreading love required many beings. She alone would never be enough. Wren's job was to spread true love between potential romantic partners. Her servants spread platonic love between friends and family, a softer type of affection, but one that could burn just as bright when provoked. She herself knew that better than anybody. Allie and Michael had been her life despite their flaws. She had given her life to keep from learning if she could possibly live without either of them.

And now here she sat staring into the eyes of Pitch Black and Samhain, thinking of Troy and death and the rage that fuels this damned thing we call life. Rage at the unfairness of it all. Rage at forced responsibilities and the sudden obligation to fulfill them. And rage at evil that makes so much sense it's hard to argue it. Sometimes that line between bad and right is so thin, it's difficult to tell when you are crossing it.

"So what you're asking me to do, is nothing?" Wren stared into the eyes of Samhain. They glowed a simmering orange, the pupil resembling a smirking jack-o-lantern.

"Exactly. The Guardians will ask you to join them once they realize they cannot win without you. Say no." Samhain sipped his tea coolly, ignoring Pitch's rigid form beside him.

"We realize that you cannot stop giving out love," Pitch added. "If we do our job right, then you won't have to. Refuse the Guardians and if we call for you to fight with us against them, we hope you will come."

Wren stayed silent for a moment. The Guardians were a hard pill to swallow. Their sense of self-righteousness disgusted her. They didn't care for anyone who wasn't a Guardian and didn't fit their bill of what a "good" person was supposed to act like. "I want time to think about it."

"Of course," Samhain answered before Pitch could threaten her. "This is a hard decision to make. I guess we will find out your answer in time."

Wren trusted her servants to successfully show them out while she contemplated what they had said. Samhain could be as dark as they come, but he still was master over a holiday that brought joy to a lot of children. No way did he want to ruin the lives of those who gave him purpose. Besides, a little bit of darkness could be to her benefit. Maybe her and Samhain could cash out on Pitch's desperation and enjoy watching the Guardians chasing their tails in the process.


	6. Chapter 6

The Guardians ricocheted through North's portal and erupted on the other side with a nauseous bunny and a snickering Jack. "Bunnies are meant to stay on the ground," he grumbled in the back seat. Jack couldn't spare him any attention. The palace before him had his full focus.

The castle floated in midair with waterfalls flowing out and joining with the mountain stream below them in glittering cascades. Sapphire butterflies fluttered between the drops and greeted the steadily incoming Guardians. One landed on Jack's nose, making him go cross-eyed trying to view its vibrant wings before it blew away with the breeze.

The sleigh rocked onto the edge of the cobblestone lane leading directly to the castle doors that were pushed open by a man and a woman whose bodies were covered completely with black feathers except for their faces. They resembled Tooth in every aspect, black feathers even catching the sunlight and shimmering an array of colors. Large black wings trailed behind them as they waited for the crew to enter.

"I think she is expecting us," Bunny stated warily.

"Good, saves us trouble of explaining." North, always the optimist, led them towards the doors.

Jack eyed the birdlike creatures as he passed, finding them both beautiful and unnerving. He was afraid of turning his back on the winged strangers, but found he had no choice when the others continued walking inside. The servants closed the doors behind them with a resounding boom and they found themselves in a giant foyer with a crystal chandelier being dimmed by the multitude of butterflies perching there. Another birdlike man descended the grand staircase directly in front of them.

"I assume you are here to see, Cupid." The man arched a questioning eyebrow at them without even a warm greeting.

"Yes, is she in?" North asked professionally, his voice echoing in the huge room.

"Unfortunately yes. Her work is very important, yet you people insist on bothering her." He gripped the bridge of his nose in silent annoyance. "She has agreed to see you. So please, be our guest and go fill her head with your petty problems." The man gestured towards the staircase.

The Guardians stepped around the stagnant man and ascended the staircase. Tooth lovingly caressed the white marble of the railing the entire climb to the next floor. The main room they entered was only slightly smaller. Butterfly attracting plants festooned almost every inch of space. A glass roof let in enough sun to feed the leaves and splatter colors on the walls. At the back of the room were agape French doors. A girl sat outside of them at a table, hands delicately holding a warm teacup.

Her chocolate colored hair tickled some suppressed memory in the back of Jack's mind. The strands twirled around the bow and quiver adorning her back. She silently stood up and turned blue eyes on her visitors. Blue eyes wide with surprise. North turned to Bunny, trying to figure out why Cupid was suddenly dumbstruck.

"Wren?" Jack stepped forward, disbelief keeping him in hesitant astonishment. The girl nodded her head before bursting towards Jack, brilliant black wings exploding behind her with the movement. Jack opened his arms, catching her hurtling body about the waist and letting her wings drag him into the air. They twirled back to the ground as quickly as they had risen and stood in each other's arms, breathing deeply and trying to remember words.

"Jack. You're Jack Frost." Jack only nodded at her realization. Wren hugged him tightly again, resting her head unashamedly in the crook of his neck. The sound of Bunny clearing his throat made Wren look up and remember the Guardians that stood impatiently behind Jack.

"You said you didn't know Cupid!" Tooth landed next to him as he released Wren from his grasp.

"I _don't_ know Cupid. I know Wren." She beamed at his statement, cheeks crinkling her sparkling eyes. "I met her when she was human."

"That's wonderful!" Tooth tried to bring Wren into her own warm embrace, but the Love Fairy took a quick step backwards.

"Whoa! Jack gets hugs. Other Guardians get sarcasm and annoyed looks." Wren held up her hands to keep Tooth away. The Guardians knew that Wren wasn't their biggest fan, just as they had known Jack wasn't either at first. Tooth still hung her head miserably.

"Why is Jack special?" North waggled his eyebrows at her. Wren raised her chin at him.

"Because Jack is the only one of you who has ever cared about me." Bunny opened his mouth to protest and she pointed a harsh finger at him, making him swallow his next words. "There were no eggs." Then she eyed North. "There were no presents." Tooth jumped back when her eyes turned to her. "No coins… Only nightmares." Sandy turned his back on her, unable to handle her furious eyes.

"You were not a believer, Wren," North stated softly.

"And it's my fault no one taught me to believe?" She rolled her eyes at their blank stares. "Maybe I would have believed if you four had ever given me any reason to. Instead, you leave kids like me out in the cold." She winked at Jack and he smiled back despite the fact that she was insulting his friends.

"If you truly feel that way, then why don't you side with Pitch and Samhain?" Bunny went ahead and assumed she had already talked with them.

"Who says I'm not?" That made Jack step away from her. "It would benefit me. Nothing brings people together like tragedy. Hope, wonder, fun, it all may be gone, but love would prosper. Love is what people hang onto when it's all they have left to them."

"Wren, you can't possibly want that." Jack reached out for her hand and she let him take it.

"You are mistaken. Those two have not asked me to do much of anything. You're the Guardians. Go do your job." They all exchanged confused expressions except Jack, who never took his eyes off of her face. "Oh, you wanted information? Look, I don't know what they are planning on doing."

"If you find out anything, will you tell us?" North asked her.

"Probably not."


	7. Chapter 7

The Guardians left Cupid's palace feeling as though they had accomplished nothing. All except for Jack who stayed behind to catch up with Wren. When the door boomed shut behind his dejected friends, Jack once again dragged Wren into his arms. All embarrassment at being close to his past crush was lost in the moment of pure relieved euphoria at her being alive.

"I can't believe it," Wren breathed, holding him at arm's length so that she could stare into his icy orbs. She had never noticed in her mortal life how blue his eyes were. They held all the shades of the sky peeking through the clouds of a snowstorm.

"I thought you died!"

"I did die." She cocked her head to the side sarcastically in that familiar way Jack had been slowly learning to love before she was ripped away from his world.

"You know what I mean." He shoved her away playfully and ran fingers through his white locks. "Five years… How have we not crossed paths in _five years_?"

Wren shrugged her shoulders. "I make it a point to avoid the Guardians."

"I can definitely understand that."

"Really?" Wren's eyes lit up at the statement. She laced her fingers with his and led him to the open balcony. Jack couldn't take his eyes off of her while she stared down at the darting butterflies.

"The Guardians can be a little…"

"Pretentious," she supplied for him. Jack had no argument there.

"Only a little. They really aren't that bad once you get to know them." Wren looked doubtful.

"I never believed in the Guardians. They don't a-" She paused midsentence and turned to watch his expression. "Speaking of which, I didn't believe in you either."

"That hurts by the way." He held up a scolding finger that she swiped aside with all seriousness.

"How did I see you, then?" Wren noted the way he shifted nervously. His eyes refused to meet hers.

"Manny said it was because you were dying. I guess you were so close to becoming Cupid that you were able to see through the veil." The fairy didn't say anything for the longest time. Jack reluctantly met her gaze, confused at the bewildered hurt he found there. "Wren?"

"You knew I was going to die? You _knew_ I was going to die and did nothing to stop it?" Anger sparked in her glare and Jack quickly realized that this previously joyous reunion had suddenly gone sour.

"Manny told me to stay out of it."

"So?!" She threw her arms over her head in fuming exasperation. "Friends help friends, despite the rules. I would never let someone die just because the good for nothing Man in the Moon said so. You're a shitty friend, Jack Frost."

"Wren…" Jack reached out for her hand, but she jerked it away without meeting his gaze.

"I was all my brother had left that kept him tied to the real world. You know where he is right now?!" Jack stepped back, the words lashing at him furiously. "He's in rehab and being treated for PTSD and depression. He will never be the same again. All because Manny and his perfectly mindless soldier decided they knew what was best for me."

"It's not like that." Jack couldn't think of any words to make it better. "You can't change fate. Nothing I did would have stopped it. Manny had already decided."

That was definitely not the right answer. Wren knew he was right. She knew as well as anyone that Manny was pulling the strings and no effort by Jack would ever overpower him. Yet that knowledge couldn't stop the rage. "Get out."

Jack's mouth fell open in astonishment. He was torn between reaching for her, hoping she would fall into his arms and forget her anger, and just giving in and flying away to return later.

"No." He settled for his best strategy: outright stubbornness. The fury in her eyes blazed and he began to worry she may tackle him straight off this balcony.

"I will get my crow guards to throw you out then."

"Is that what they are?"

"Don't change the subject!" Wren stomped back into the room and reached for the doors, deciding that if Jack wouldn't leave then she would. Ice soared passed her head and sealed the door shut. "Dammit, Jack. You're behaving like a child." When she wheeled around to face him he was already directly behind her, crouching in midair so that their noses almost touched.

"No, you are." He softly planted his feet back on the floor and leaned away.

"You're much more confident than I remember." Wren recalled the blushing boy she had known in her other life.

"Not really. You've just actually let me have the upper hand for once. It's my turn to surprise you." Jack snatched her hand from her side before she could react and dragged her back to the balcony.

"Jack, I cannot go anywhere with you today. I've barely done any work." This made Jack stop and consider his next move. Watching Cupid could actually be interesting.

"Take me with you." He perched on the balcony like a cat, bouncing excitedly for her approval.

"If I didn't want you around me here, why would I want you around me somewhere else?"

"Ouch, Wren. Is being friends with you always gonna be this painful?"

She crinkled her nose. "I'm not made of sugar." That was all Jack needed to hear. He tugged her up onto the balcony. The sight of her black wings unfurling was breathtaking. She appeared to him as a fallen angel, and in many ways that was exactly what she was. "Let's go, Frosty. Before I change my mind."

Wren released Jack's hand and took off at a breakneck speed to see if he could catch up to her. A cool breeze tickled her back and she glanced up to see him gliding upon the wind with ease.

"Where are we going?" He shouted down at her over the beating of her wings.

"Burgess." Jack slowed down at that answer, forcing her to do the same.

"It's always Burgess." Wren wasn't sure what to do with that statement.

"Uhm, okay? My couple is Jamie and Pippa." Above her, Jack gave a devious smirk. This was apparently going to be very entertaining after all.


	8. Chapter 8

Wren landed on the sidewalk that led to Jamie's house. "They should walk passed here any minute." School had let out and the entire crew of believers would be strolling home.

"I should warn you, these kids believe in me." Wren glared up Jack from the corner of her eyes.

"You're already making things difficult." Jack almost fell over when she seized his wrist and dragged him farther down the street. She paused at the corner where Jamie and Pippa would part for their houses, right in front of a tall hedge. "Guess we have to hide you." Wren motioned towards the shrubbery.

"What? It'll be all itchy." He shivered at the thought of the scraggly leaves.

Wren was not amused. "Your itchiness cannot stand in the way of true love." Before he could counter, Wren stiff-armed Jack hard enough that he fell ungracefully into the large hedge. Wren peeked through the leaves to see his porcelain face pouting at her, leaves falling into his lashes.

"Can you at least keep me company in here?" His pleading eyes were too adorable to deny. Wren sighed. She crawled through the branches and crouched down until the foliage shielded her from the outside world.

"You're such a baby. This was your idea." She spit out an intruding leaf. Jack started to protest but Wren covered his mouth with her hand when she spotted the crew of believers. The chattering kids made Jack smile, especially when he spotted the 13 year-old Jamie walking side-by-side with Pippa.

"Do you just shoot them?"

"What am I? A barbarian?" She looked at him like he was an idiot. "The moment has to be right. Plus, who said I was shooting both of them?"

Before Jack could say more, Pippa turning towards Jamie captivated him at the street corner. "Jamie, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jamie arched a confused eyebrow at his friend, but nodded and waved at the others to go on without him.

"What's up?" Pippa shifted uncomfortably and her face changed to a beat red. She stared down at her sandals and ground a nervous toe into the concrete. Jamie wondered absently what was so interesting on the sidewalk.

"I heard you say that your favorite superhero is Thor. And…" Pippa paused for a moment, thinking about leaving the conversation at that and awkwardly walking away.

"Oh yeah. Thor's great! What's cooler than being able to control lightning?!" Jamie's statement made Jack want to burst out of the bush and tell him that a lot of powers were cooler than controlling lightning. Wren held him down with an iron grip.

"Well… uh… I mean, I bought tickets to the new Avengers movie this Friday, but no one can go with me. Would you like to?" She held a ticket out to him shyly.

"Really?! That'd be great! I'll tell the others so that they can ask their parents." Pippa's previously ecstatic face fell, making the entire situation all the more bewildering to the 13 year-old.

"Okay. Can't wait!" She feigned excitement. Jamie cocked his head to the side as she walked away while Wren awaited in the shrubbery just as confused.

"That's weird," she breathed. The moment to shoot had never came, yet Pippa was disappearing quickly. Wren turned to voice her confusion to Jack, but he had other plans in mind. Jack erupted out of the hedge directly in front of Jamie.

"Ah!" He shielded his face from the winter spirit. "Jack! Don't scare me like that!"

"You're deserve to be scared!"

Wren facepalmed and staggered back onto the street, sure that Jamie wouldn't see her there. However, those passing by did see a boy screaming at the air. A man driving on the road practically hanged out of his window to get a better look.

"What did I do?!" Jamie placed his hands on his chest.

"That girl likes you. As in _like_ likes."

"Jack! You're not supposed to tell him!" Wren had to resist throwing her shoe at him. Jack just ignored her.

"What? Pippa? She doesn't like me. Pippa's my friend. She's one of the guys." Jamie denied.

"No, she's a pretty girl who wanted to go on a date with you."

"Date? We go to the movies all the time."

"With other people!" Jack was going to have to smack some sense into this boy and Wren was going to have to do the same to Jack later. "She wanted to go alone. Just the two of you."

Understanding dawned on Jamie's face and his cheeks blushed violent red. "How do you know? You haven't been around girls besides Tooth in, like, 300 years."

"I talk to girls." Now it was Jack's turn to be embarrassed. He refused to turn around and look at Wren behind him. "That doesn't matter! Go fix it." Jack pointed in the direction of Pippa's house. Wren giggled at the fatherly stance he was taking. At first, Jamie automatically did what Jack ordered, but wheeled around before reaching her house.

"What do I say?!"

"You'll figure it out." Jamie sighed and continued his anxious march. Both Jack and Wren stayed silent as he rang the doorbell from their hiding spot in the bushes surrounding her home. Pippa flung the door open within moments where she had been praying on the other side that Jamie would realize what she was really asking and come running after her.

"Jamie? Is something wrong?" she expertly pretended.

"No. Yes?" He gripped his elbow awkwardly. "About the movie… I was wondering if maybe you and I could go alone. Without the others." Pippa beamed at him from the doorway.

"That sounds like more fun. We can get to know each other better."

"Good. Great!" Jamie began slowly backing away from her. "I'll be here Friday." Pippa stepped out onto the porch to watch him leave.

Wren could feel her moment coming. As Pippa waved at the dazed Jamie, Wren drew her bow and released a love arrow directly into the girl's chest. Pippa placed a hand over her heart, fascinated by the fluttering there.

"Boys can be so clueless sometimes." Jack perched on the porch railing and smiled down at Wren.

"You have no idea." Wren inched her nose closer to his, terrified that he would pull away. Jack held his breath in anticipation. Her nose lightly touched his, instantly cooling the skin. But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. Quite the opposite. It was invigorating. Like jumping into a clear mountain stream without checking the temperature beforehand. At first it takes your breath away, but after a moment, the chill filters your blood and you realize you've never felt so alive. So perfectly human.

Wren waited there, refusing to press her lips to his. With trembling hands, Jack cupped her cheeks and lightly forced her lips to his. It wasn't passionate. Just a slight touch of soft skin, a tiny lightning strike. When Jack pulled away to examine her face, Wren reached up to grasp his wrists. She tugged them away and unfurled her wings to Jack's dismay.

"Come on, Frostbite. I still have a job to do." Jack scrambled after her as she flew away, both his mind and body unable to catch up with what in the world had just happened.

"Wren!" he called once he drew up beside her. "What was that?"

"What was what?" she called back over her wingbeats.

"Back there. On the porch."

"Jack, if I have to tell you what that was, then maybe you should ask North to give you 'the talk'." She giggled at the crimson horror on his face. Wren had no idea he could turn so many colors.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack and Wren soared across the world, spreading both love and fun in their flight. There was no more mention of the kiss that had transpired back at Pippa's and Jack decided not to push the topic. He finally had Wren back and he didn't want to give her any reason to pull away as she had back at her palace.

Day had already drawn to its close and they flew through a romantic night. Eventually, Wren shot the last love arrow in her quiver and sighed in content. "All the excitement today really put me behind. Thanks for making my job enjoyable." She placed a thumb under his chin and kissed his cool cheek. Jack wanted so badly to pull her into a heated embrace but resisted the urge.

"Fun is my job," he winked at her in false confidence, then ran his fingers through his hair. Wren marveled at how beautiful he was. Describing a man as "beautiful" should have seemed strange, but that word seemed to fit him perfectly without draining an ounce of his masculinity.

Before she could voice her thoughts a gust of air whooshed passed them, billowing her hair out in brown eddies. The smell of a calm autumn wind wafted into her nose and she gazed after the green smoke. "That's one of Samhain's ghouls…"

It was strange to see the mischievous spooks rapidly gallivanting about without a care for whom they disturbed. To the world, Halloween and scares seemed like pure chaos, but Samhain was sharply meticulous. He was very particular about the pranks his ghouls played on unsuspecting participants, especially outside of Halloween. The group carefully created new and horrifying plans for each Halloween, wanting to wow the people and remind them that fear came in many forms.

"Whoa…" She turned to see Jack looking up at the sky and followed his gaze to see what was so alarming. Tendrils of green haze filled the sky as the ghouls retreated.

"They seem to be running from something." Jack nodded in agreement.

"I'm going to Samhain's forest." He gripped his staff in certainty and knit his brow to show her that fun Jack was gone and Jack the Guardian had taken his place.

"Then I'm going, too." There was no arguing with her. Protests would result in sassiness and vulgar gestures. Without a word, he took the lead towards Samhain's forest. They flew at a speed too fast for comfortable conversation.

The forest consisted of tangled limbs that resembled monsters preparing to pounce on the soaring couple. Normally, the trees would only set the mood and ghouls hiding amidst the shadows would be awaiting them with a scare. Jack tensed around each larger tree, ready for at least a jump scare, but none came. He slowed down to talk to Wren more easily.

"They all left." Wren continued scanning as they drew closer to Samhain's creepy stone house by the swamp. They were surprised to find the Guardians already posted outside the front door and looking worse for wear. "What happened?!" Jack asked when he landed beside them.

"Pitch happened," Bunny grumbled. "He attacked the ghouls and now they're flying willy nilly, scaring all the ankle biters and sending the world into a tizzy."

"Where's Sam?" Wren asked, sincerely worried about her sort of friend. Bunny leered at her.

"Of course that's what you care about. We all know what side you're on, in the end." Wren clenched her fists and puffed out her chest against Bunny, daring him to keep talking to her like that.

"Love doesn't choose sides. Now, where. is. Sam?!"

At that moment, Samhain appeared, pushing open the front door with his rear end and humming a delightful tune. In his hands was a tray of pink lemonade and his eyes widened at the sight of Wren. "Thank the heavens, good company has finally arrived." Sam handed the tray of drinks to Tooth, knowing she would be the only one nice enough to take them.

"What is going on?" Wren threw her hands into the air in exasperation.

"Seriously, Sam," North bellowed, "you couldn't handle your little playmate for more than a couple days? This is what happens when you play with darkness." Sam ignored his scolding.

"Who said I was trying to handle him." He waggled his brows at Wren, hoping she could see the big picture. "So he let my ghouls loose. They'll go reap some unsupervised havoc and come home. No one is expecting it! It's pure genius! The best horror prank pulled on the entire world! Come Halloween, they will be begging to see more."

The Guardians gawked at him and Wren attempted to hide her faint smile at the charismatic man's enthusiasm. Sam, however, saw her slight appreciation. "Not to mention all the lovers who will cling together in their fear." He raised a fist her way and she bumped it before she could stop herself.

"Wren!" Jack scolded her. He couldn't believe she was endorsing this.

"What?! It was a happy accident. I had nothing to do with it, I swear." Jack searched her eyes for any deception and found none. That didn't make him any happier to see her and the spirit of Halloween so buddy-buddy.

"What now?" North spread his hands out in defeat. "You expect us to be cleanup crew now that your joke is over?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders in apathy and sauntered back to his front door. "I don't expect anything." With that, he disappeared inside.

Wren turned to see Jack glaring daggers at her. She smiled weakly and slid over next to him to lay her head on his shoulder and avoid that stare.

"I have no idea where to start," Tooth stated before placing the tray of drinks on the ground.

"What about you?" Bunny pointed an accusing finger at Wren. "If anyone knows where Pitch is, it's you."

"We aren't friends! He could be any-" She fell to her knees, hand gripping fiercely at the area just over her heart.

"Wren!" Jack dropped beside her and softly rubbed her back while the other Guardians gathered around. He placed a hand over hers, trying to release her hold over her laboriously fluttering chest. When he finally managed to rip her hands away and cup them between his own, the other Guardians gasped. Directly over her heart bloomed a black stain streaming out in venous rivulets, threatening to spread with each beat.


	10. Chapter 10

Jack didn't need time to think. He knew immediately that he had to return to the palace. Although it pained him to do so, he soared away from her limp form and his concerned comrades. Every nerve in his body ached to return to her side, but he knew that once darkness spread within one's heart, it could be nearly impossible to eradicate. He had to move fast to save his new friend.

And what he saw at her palace gave him pause mid-flight. Crows darted helter-skelter among the reaching turrets, being chased and herded by seething nightmares with flaring nostrils. The butterflies graced the tower tips, keeping their delicate wings as far away from the chaos as possible. Their manic flapping threatened to pull the palace even farther into the sky.

With a shake of his head, Jack flew to the entrance of the castle and flung open the doors to find the crow people wielding brass swords against the fearlings. No one seemed to notice Jack until he soared over their heads to ascend the staircase. A few fearlings attempted to drag him into their brawl to no avail. He skillfully darted out of reach and entered the ornate room he had visited only hours earlier.

The butterflies were nowhere to be seen and all the plants had curled in on themselves in response to the ensuing hopelessness that always surely follows the dark. He paced the room, hoping to find some indication of where to go, but only finding the crow guard that had scolded the Guardians for bothering Cupid quivering in a corner.

Jack wedged his staff into the coward's side and gave him a harsh shove, sending the man onto his back. "Where's Pitch?"

"At the heart," the man sputtered. Jack grabbed the collar of his shirt, ignoring the way the man shielded his face with trembling fingers.

"Be more specific."

Without a word, he pointed towards a door that Jack had not noticed when the flowers had been in bloom. Now that they were wilted and flaking it was easy to see the oak exit behind the gardenias. An iron lock lay broken on the floor and Jack shoved through the door and into a stone staircase that spiraled to a hollow basement. He vaguely wondered how the palace could be so gorgeous and intricate, yet the heart of the entire place seemed to echo every dreaded doubt Jack had ever known.

And it was here that he found Pitch. One spindly hand rested upon a globe similar to the one at North's workshop. Wren's heart wasn't a heart at all. It was the energy source that told her when a blossoming passion needed her attention anywhere in the world. Shadows writhed from Pitch's fingers and slowly engulfed the globe, drowning the red lights that begged for Wren's relief.

There was no hesitation. There was no waiting for any witty banter from the villain. Jack ran straight for his midsection, spouting bolts of ice from his staff the entire way. Pitch's eyes widened in surprise and he was forced to dodge the assault. Jack gave Pitch no room to relax. He knew that at any moment the boogeyman would call his nightmares to his side and Jack would find himself outnumbered.

"A girl, Frost?" Pitch chuckled as he evaded Jack's ice missiles and countered with his own form of magic. "And Cupid at that!" he chuckled lowly. "Look how her heart accepts the darkness! She is more mine than yours…" Pitch mused.

"You can never have her." With that, Jack took one final shot, but he was stopped by the sound of horses' hooves on stone. Nightmares surrounded him, snorting in disapproval of his assault on their master. Jack didn't dare move. One attack from them, and it would be hours before he regained consciousness.

"Oh, Frost, but I already have. We all have our monsters. Some more than others." Pitch winked at Jack and placed his hand back on the globe. "Didn't you know that darkness has always been the only friend Wren has known? It seems the heroes left her to die."

Jack grit his teeth at that last statement, knowing it to be true and hating the way it bit into his chest and demanded to be felt. The nightmares took a step closer, eager to devour him, and Jack realized the time of desperation had come. He would have to make a move.

"You make a mistake, Pitch." Jack wheeled around to see Wren leaning on the wall at the bottom of the staircase. Her knees trembled and begged to crumple beneath the weight of darkness. Her skin had turned mostly black and her eyes began to take on the yellow of Pitch's. Between her labored breaths she managed a few words. "I'm no damsel in distress."

At her words, cobalt butterflies fluttered down the staircase with all the ferocity of a pack of vindictive bees. Their paper-thin wings seemed to become glaring razor blades that cut straight through Pitch. The butterflies soared through his chest and erupted on the other side as crows, shedding what little perceived fragility they maintained in the assault. The new crows bulleted passed their mistress, now shaking upon her knees.

Jack had lost all concern for the now motionless Pitch. He ran to Wren's side and pulled her into his lap. Her skin was cold even to him. The nightmares had abandoned their master and all that was left was an echoing sense of hopelessness as darkness continued to trap Wren's heart.

"What did you do?" he asked her, less curious and more trying to distract her from the pain.

"Didn't anyone tell you?" she chuckled humorlessly. "Butterflies steal love. Only crows have extra to give away."

Jack smiled at that. How insidious the creatures were! Wren shivered in his arms and Jack carefully removed her from his lap, realizing that he was only making the shadowy infection worse. "Who knew Pitch had any love to take," he pondered.

Wren slowly lay down upon the ground and for the first time in the chaos Jack wondered if she may ever get back up. "Is Pitch alive?" she asked cryptically.

"Of course. Darkness is always alive," Jack echoed hollowly.

"Then he loves." With that, Wren's eyes fluttered closed.

"Wren!" Jack grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled her back into his lap. He shook her vigorously, hating the way her mouth lolled open. "Don't do this to me! Not again!" All the emptiness of the years came back to him and he held her to his chest. Her pulse still throbbed beneath his fingers, though it was as faint as the hope that refused to let him go.

"Frost!" Bunny thumped down into the basement. "We lost the girl!" He stopped when he saw her laying limp in Jack's arms. Tears streamed down the boy's face and dampened her pale cheeks.

The rest of the Guardians joined in Bunny's dumbfounded stance. "What's happening?" Jack croaked, praying their age and wisdom could bring some light.

"Her heart is breaking," North informed him.

"Will she die?"

"In the physical sense, no," North placed a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder, "but emotionally, she may as well be a doll."

 _A doll._ Somehow, that word infuriated Jack. That was the darkness in Wren's heart. The world saw her as a doll. Had treated her as a doll. They dragged her by one arm through the dirt and screamed when her eyes popped out and she no longer looked like luxury. The world had wanted a doll, and had no idea how to respond when it saw a human being.

"There must be something!" Jack screamed at them. They had to be holding back! "We're magic beings! We can't stop this?!"

Bunny sighed. "The darkness isn't spreading. Maybe we can take her to the Warren. Let her spend time in the spring. It'll bring the hope back."

"Not a bad idea." The crow guard who had hidden during the battle entered the room. "But it is only half-formed I'm afraid."

Jack rushed at the crow guard, blaming him for letting Pitch inside so easily. Surprisingly, the attack was dodged and Jack crashed into the stone wall, bruising both his shoulder and his pride.

"You are correct. Nothing heals a broken heart quite like hope! But first, Wren needs to know love again, before hope can ever be restored."

"How?" Jack tried not to become hysterical.

"We cannot give love willy-nilly," the crow guard informed them. "Love is fated. Star-crossed if you will. There is not any extra love lying around. There must be love sacrificed."

Jack stared at the Guardians, and then he softened as he gazed down at Wren's ashen body. "Take love from me. My love for my sister."

The Guardians gasped. Jack adored his little sister. Although she was dead, it was her memory that fueled him to continue. Had he could he possibly make such a sacrifice?

"No." Toothiana stepped forward, head hanging low in shame. "Take mine."

"And who do you love, dear?"

"Jack Frost," she admitted and smiled sweetly at him. Jack had no words. The moment was entirely too charged for him to say anything that could help her. "It's romantic love…"

The crow guard beamed. "Perfect. Romantic love is special, because romantic love can be replaced. You will lose a love interest, but you will gain a friend."

Toothiana smiled at Jack and gave him a quick wink before making the sacrifice that would change his life.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack had waited eagerly for this day. After Tooth's sacrifice, Wren had returned to her normal color, although she had never woken. Only hope would be able to coax her back to the world. Hope, and time. Jack had waited patiently for Bunny to report that Wren would be ready to see him again, and today was the day.

On his way to the Warren, Jack had stopped to nervously gather a bouquet of wildflowers, entirely unsure how one was supposed to act around a girl they liked. North had even helped him pack a picnic like the one he had shared with Wren that day in the park. He had so many questions he wanted to ask her, but was afraid she was not in the frame of mind to answer any of them. Only she could decide how the afternoon went.

When he entered the Warren, he saw her immediately. She lay beside the stream, bathing in the spring sunshine. In her white dress, she seemed to glow and he floated over to her in a state of awe. "Wren?" he whispered.

"Frosty?" She smiled without opening her eyes. Was she expecting him?

When she sat up to take him in, Jack saw happiness in her eyes and he knew that Wren was going to be just fine. "Quit looking at me like I might explode," she scolded him.

Without a word, he blushed and held out the bouquet he was carrying. Wren giggled at his shyness and wondered where the confident boy she had met in her palace had hidden once again. "I hate flowers."

Jack's face fell and he almost flew away right there, until he realized she was poking fun at him. "Why do you have tease me like that?"

"Maybe you shouldn't give me the upper hand," she hinted. Jack placed the flowers on the ground between them and edged closer to the girl. He watched curiously as her smile faded away and ran a chilled finger down her jawline, pretending a bravery he did not feel. Her eyes closed blissfully and goosebumps dotted her arms when he explored the bow of her limps. He gripped her chin tightly before pulling her into a passionate kiss. Their lips slid against each and she tasted like honey, thick and sweet. He could have drowned in her, if only she would allow such intimacy.

A sharp stick followed by a fluttering in his chest caused Jack to jerk away. Wren grinned at him mischievously and waved an arrow. "Jack Frost, are you in love with me?"

Jack sputtered, trying to find an answer that wasn't there. Finally, he stood up and brushed off his pants. "I'm done with this date."

Wren leapt to her feet. "Are you leaving? But I thought you loved me?!" she teased. Jack shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"For a minute there, I thought I might have, but then I realized you're a little strange."

Wren couldn't believe he was trying to tease her back. He strolled farther away, walking up the stream and back towards the tunnel he had entered from. Wren did the only thing she could think to do. She ran with all her might and tackled him around the waist, landing both of them in the water.

"Are you crazy?!" Jack resurfaced and spit water out at her.

"This isn't fun?" she asked.

"Honey, I'm the King of Fun." He playfully ducked her back under the water and loved the way she clung to him instead of fighting. Her wet, smooth skin slid over his and he marveled that such wonderful feelings had existed without his knowledge!

"Then why am I so bored?" she teased.

"Now, that's a challenge." He gave her a lopsided grin before winding his fingers into her hair and pulling her into another heated kiss. The sun beat down on their embrace, warming the water globules on their skin, making the world swim with the shimmering lining of a dream. As Jack pulled away, Wren bit his lower lip and tugged lightly, daring him to let her go.

Jack would never live another day without remembering the way spring felt upon his skin.


End file.
